Pinkie Maclure : Brigid in Dualchas

The Gaelic word Dualchas refers to the intimate bonds that exist between the natural world, the land and its people, transmitted through the generations.

Pre-Christian Celtic deity Brigid (or Brighde in the Hebrides) was a protector of nature and was associated with perpetual, sacred flames, surrounded by a hedge which no man could cross. Men who attempted to cross were said to have been cursed to go insane, die or be crippled.

Hedges are very important habitats for wildlife and for the prevention of wild fires, an increasing problem in the Highlands.